WildfireRisk/PSPS & Equity Glance

This document was prepared for a briefing to Dr. Angell on analyzing the equity implications of Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) in California.

In Lieu of data on the actual locations and times of Californians affected by PSPS - which are expecting from PG&E soon, we examined the overlay of (CalFIRE’s Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ)](https://osfm.fire.ca.gov/divisions/wildfire-prevention-planning-engineering/wildland-hazards-building-codes/fire-hazard-severity-zones-maps/) with two (2) statewide datasets describing health equity:

• CDPH’s Climate Change and Health Vulnerability Indicators (CCHVIs): This set of indicators describe several population characteristics that affect people’s sensitivity to climate-related hazards (age, income, occupation, disability, etc.). They are available at the census tract level, and in some cases can be described by race.
• California Healthy Places Index (HPI): This statewide index is created by weighting 7 policy area scores (economic, social, education, transportation, neighborhood, housing, pollution, healthcare) which are weighted based on association with life expectancy at birth and combined into a single metric.

This preliminary analysis, with its limitations, highlights a few key findings:

1. Inclusive health equity indices may not best describe disparate vulnerabilities in areas likely affected by PSPS.
2. The racial makeup of the highest risk areas is predominently white.
3. Far more adults with a disability live in the highest risk areas than in the lower risk areas.
4. High fire risk near urban areas tends to be among wealthier individuals than in rural and forntier medical service areas.

The CalFIRE data is a decent proxy for areas potentially affected by PSPS. The state identifies Moderate, High, and Very High risk areas of both state and local responsibility (can be explored in map below). There are other datasets of wildfire risk that we could explore that may include areas of federal responsibility.

Health Equity Index and Fire Risk

By combining the Fire Hazard zones with the health equity data, we can begin to see how populations living in these different areas compare. For example, using the HPI, we can compare the average Index score (and components) for tracts in the different Fire Risk Severty Zones. The actual scores are not very meningful, but we can see that we see increase HPI Scores for tracts in the highest FRSZs.

Elderly (by race) and Fire Risk

A couple of the indicators in the CCHVIs may be more illustrative of the concentration of vulnerability in the highest fire risk areas. For example, the number of elderly individuals (over 65) that live in Very High Risk FHSZs is greater than the number in Moderate and High FHSZs combined, and the majority are white.

Disabilty and Fire Risk

Another indicator in the CCHVIs of interest is individuals with a disability. The number of individuals living with a disability (mental or physical) is greatest in the highest risk fire areas.

Percentage of People in Poverty

Income affects the ability of households to deal and cope with many of the ‘inconveniences’ of climate change. We see the mean percentage of people living in poverty to be very different between Very High fire risk areas in the urban vs. rural and fronteir areas of the state (using Medical Service Area definitions).